01 July 2012

Jonnie Peacock (coach: Dan Pfaff) created a huge shock overnight (30 June) running 10.85 seconds (+0.7m/s) for the T43/44 100m at the US Paralympic Track & Field Trials, a World Record mark that eclipses the times set by South African `Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius and USA’s 2004 Paralympic Champion Marlon Shirley.

Single leg amputee T44 athlete Peacock, who only turned 19 in May, led home a strong field that included World Champion Jerome Singleton, former Paralympic champion Shirley and last year’s Parapan American Games gold medal winner Jarryd Wallace.

His time of 10.85 was 0.06 second faster than the previous T44 record set in 2007 by Shirley and was also faster than the 10.91 mark set by T43 sprinter Pistorius five years ago.

"This was only my fifth race this year,” said Peacock who finished sixth at last year’s World Championships in 11.89. “I’ve had head winds for the two decent races I’ve run. All I’ve been asking for is a tail wind and I finally got one.

“I raced at the English Championships where it was chucking it down in Birmingham the day after I’d passed my driving test. I was mentally tired and I was disappointed, by my standards, in how the race went. A week later I ran 11.24 into a -3.2 headwind at Bedford and I couldn’t believe I’d gone so quick in the conditions.

“Dan (his coach Dan Pfaff) and I knew I was in 10.7/10.8 shape and I came out here wanting to win, that was my first goal,” he continued. “I knew if I could beat these guys, who are the best in the world, then it would bode well for London. My second goal was to run under 11 seconds.

“When I first started running I hated saying my PB was 12-something. It was better when it was 11-something, but now I’m delighted it’s 10-something; I’ve gone almost a full second quicker in 12 months, from running 11.63 at the World Championships in January last year to 10.85 today.

 “I just can’t thank my support team at Lee Valley enough; hopefully this does justice to all the support they’ve given me and gives them something back. My coach and the physios have been brilliant and obviously I wouldn’t be here at all if my mum and step dad hadn’t constantly driven me to/from training, and also my old coach Hayley who really got me started. I really am so grateful, I know we’re fortunate in this country to have such a brilliant performance programme and I feel like that alone gives us an advantage over our opposition. Steve Lewis (the GB pole vaulter) said to me the other week that I should be apologising to them all on the start line for being given such a head start in terms of support!

“I really couldn’t wish for a better start to my career. My PB last year was 11.47 and less than 48 hours ago it was 11.24, now it’s 10.85 and I’m not stopping there. I’m so excited now to just keep on racing and push the boundaries of what an amputee can do.

“I’m still nervous about selection for the Paralympic Games, but hopefully I’ll get picked!”

Reigning 100m T43/T44 Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who beat Peacock at May’s BT Paralympic World Cup, took to twitter to offer his congratulations: "Well done, great to see progress in the sport! Looking forward to a very fast race at London 2012."

Peacock was not the only record breaker in Saturday’s 100m race. In finishing second in 10.95, Blake Leeper, a fifth place finisher at last year’s World Championships, set an Americas record and became the first American T43 sprinter to go under 11 seconds.

Third place went to Richard Browne (11.16), World Champion Singleton (11.17) finished fourth, Wallace (11.44) took sixth with Shirley (11.45) coming hone in seventh in an extremely fast race that saw all top five finishers beat the 11.34 time Singleton ran last year to be crowned World Champion in New Zealand.

Peacock’s World Record has made the already much anticipated men’s 100m T43/44 London 2012 Paralympic final on Thursday 6 September an even more mouth watering prospect.

The line-up in the Olympic Stadium is expected to include new World Record holder Peacock, reigning Paralympic Champion Pistorius, World Champion Singleton, Americas record holder Leeper together with South Africa’s Arnu Fourie.  

Brazil’s Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira, a bronze medalist at last year’s World Championships, is also expected to be a contender.

Tickets for what promises to be an epic final on 6 September are still available and can be purchased at www.paralympictickets.com

Other British highlights over the weekend have so far included World Records for Mickey Bushell (Fred Periac) in the men’s T53 100m (14.38/+1.3m/s) and Hannah Cockroft (Peter Eriksson) in the women’s T34 200m (31.23/+1.0m/s), both athletes improving their own global best marks, and lifetime best performances from Ola Abidogun (Steve Thomas) and Jade Jones (Ian Thompson/Tanni Grey-Thompson).

Abidogun, the double IWAS World Junior Champion in 2011, lowered his PB times in both the 100m (11.05/+0.9m/s) and 200m (22.54/+1.5m/s) while Jones, who has made progress across a number of events in 2012, clocked new PBs in the 400m (55.91), 800m (1:51.55), 1500m (3:25.07) and 5000m (11.56.31).

The US Paralympic Track & Field Trials conclude on Sunday (1 July) and additional British athlete updates will follow when available. Full results can be found through the following link.

The British track and field team for the Paralympic Games will be announced on Tuesday 10 July.

To see footage of Peacock’s World Record breaking run, please follow the link.

To see some of the British faces to look out for at the London Games – including Peacock – check out the following video.